Tommy Thompson, father of the 'no exceptions' Republican platform

George W. Bush with his ideas guy, Tommy Thompson. Tommy Thompson, Republican candidate for Wisconsin's open Senate seat, jumped on the bandwagon condemning Todd Akin this week. Like Romney, he had to sleep on it and see which way the political winds were blowing, but he got there eventually. On Monday he said it was up to Akin and the voters of Missouri, but by Tuesday he was demanding Akin step down. He called Akin's comments "ignorant at best and outrageous," and also said, "Regardless of gender or party, we all have a moral responsibility to come together in opposition to crimes against women and support an exceptions for abortion in the abhorrent situations where rape is involved."

Of course, that "abhorrent situation" isn't considered in the Republican platform. That platform calls for a Constitutional ban on abortion that makes no exception for rape or for incest. That's the same abortion plank as in the 2000 GOP platform, a platform that was written by none other than Tommy Thompson. The Wisconsin Democrats have the goods, quoting a July 2000 report from the Capital Times:

'Not long after he uttered those words, Bush made Thompson the idea man'tapping the four-term governor to chair the committee charged with drawing up the 2000 Republican platform'The current plank pledges Republicans will appoint only judges opposed to protecting reproductive rights, who favor blocking any taxpayer funding of abortions and who will punish doctors who perform abortions. It also supports a constitutional amendment banning abortion even in cases where rape, incest and a threat to the life of the mother are involved.' [Capital Times, 7/29/2000]

Thompson went on to be Bush's secretary of Health and Human Services, his idea guy on, among other things, women's health. Now, like every other hypocritical Republican, he's jumping on the dump-Akin bandwagon, but sure didn't have a problem with the substance of what Akin was saying 12 years ago.

Has he had another change of heart since then? Does he really now support an exception for rape, or will he be a vote in the Senate for a total abortion ban?

Wisconsin voters sure deserve to know.

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